At Least I have an Ass - Chinese Philosophy Art
32.4cm
12¾"
32.4cm
12¾"

Approximate Measurements

32.4cm x 32.4cm  ≈  12¾" x 12¾"

At Least I Have An Ass

This painting tells of a man who is jealous of all the other men because they have horses, and all he has in an ass.

As his mind ponders this thought, he turns his head and sees a man carrying a heavy load on his back.

The man then realizes that he is lucky because at least he has an ass (and he shouldn't spend so much time comparing his ass with others).

Please Note: I will not be held responsible if you give this to your wife and tell her, "Hey baby, stop comparing yourself to other women, at least you have an ass".
Apparently this is already responsible for one divorce somewhere in Minnesota - lol.


Trying to match them up as a set?

Please note: There are many many variations between batches of paintings that this artist produces. These include the color of the handmade paper, and slight size differences. If you need a nicely-matching set, please contact us, and we'll do our best to pick out a special group for you (we may have to get some custom made for you, but we are willing to do that if you are willing to wait).


Want a larger size Chinese philosophy painting?

If you would like larger versions of any of these titles, just let us know, and we will ask the artist to custom paint some for you.
The maximum size the artist is willing to paint is 18" x 18" (45cm x 45xm). This is double the area of the paintings we normally offer, and the price is also double for the larger custom sizes.


About This Collection of Chinese Philosophy Art

This painting is from the San Yang Collection, a great series of paintings that depict various folklore, stories, and philosophies of Chinese culture.

I have translated the stories of these paintings into English with the personal help of the artist.

The artist and I meet for Chinese tea and discussions of Western and Easter Philosophy

The artist and I meet in her home for Chinese tea
and discussions of Western and Easter Philosophy

This work was done in Beijing, China by Zhang Xiuzhen whose pen name is "San Yang".

She is a rather famous artist in northern China and has been painting since 1958.
Her work has been seen in many international exhibitions around the world over the last decade.

This is known as "free-hand style" painting.
This style of painting is done quickly with broad and powerful strokes. But often with a half-dry brush. This is a very specific technique that this artist has mastered, and many try to copy.

Painted with watercolor and special Chinese ink on handmade xuan paper (rice paper) with gold flecks/flakes. The paper itself is handmade in a process that takes more than a year to complete. We then mount the paper (laminate it to more sheets of xuan paper) to thicken it up an keep it flat and wrinkle-free for the framing process.

Note: Framing is not included! However, the artwork is ready-to-frame, unlike raw unmounted xuan paper that some other Chinese art galleries sell.